


A pilot who supports another in a potentially dangerous flying environment

by icandrawamoth



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: X-Wing Series - Aaron Allston & Michael Stackpole
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hugs, Introspection, Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 15:37:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17206106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/pseuds/icandrawamoth
Summary: Over Jussafet Four, Tycho considers the Empire and Rebellion's differing ways of treating their pilots.





	A pilot who supports another in a potentially dangerous flying environment

When Tal'dira fires on Wedge, Tycho puts himself between them without a second thought. Wedge is Tycho's closest friend, his brother in arms, his commander, his _wingmate_ – it's Tycho's duty to protect him. It's Tycho's job to do everything he can to keep him in one piece, make sure he gets home safe. Unless ordered otherwise, given absolutely no other option, Tycho will always do so, no matter the danger to himself or to the mission at hand.

Tycho has had other wingmates in the past. This hasn't always been how he's felt.

Both the Rebellion and the Empire teach their pilots to fly in pairs. It's the best way to stay safe, to keep pilots alive – working together, always having someone to watch your back.

But everyone knows the Empire never placed the same amount of value on their pilots' lives as the Rebels. Imperial pilots were a renewable resource; the Rebels had to be more protective of the little they had.

In the eyes of the Empire, pilots were disposable. It was that simple. The objective was always more important.

Even back then, It had never sat quite right with Tycho letting squadmates die who could have been saved, but he wasn't yet ready to protest his Imperial masters. He knew that would only get him trouble.

So he watched people die. He lost a wingmate during a training exercise. Once he joined active duty, another. Then another. In a sortie shortly before Tycho's doubts about the Empire had really come to full fruition, his most recent wingmate was cut off from the rest of the group, surrounded by Rebels. He'd begged for backup over the comms, desperation splitting his voice and grating on Tycho's nerves, but he hadn't turned back. Tycho and the rest of his squadron succeded in taking out the transport they'd been after as well as most of the opposing force, but that day he lost his fourth wingmate.

Things were different when he started flying for the Rebels. Wingpairs and squadmates were encouraged to rely on each other and given more freedom to do so. Little by little, Tycho got used to having a partner who would always be there, no ready to fly off the moment things became a little harry.

That had taken time. Tycho remembers once or twice early on when he'd been resigned to dying out there in the cold of space, sacrificing himself for the team, only to have one of the others swoop in and pull him out of the fire. He remembers getting dressed down – though gently – from Luke about that attitude.

Yes, Tycho thinks as he returns to the ship after the battle on Jussafet Four, the Empire and the Rebellion treated the concept of wingmates so differently. He utterly prefers the Rebellion, the Republic's, way of thinking, and he now he goes out there every time ready to protect his friends and comrades with everything he's worth.

He climbs out of his ship, and there's a tightness in his chest that he couldn't do that for Tal'dira, but at soon as he hits the floor, Wedge is there, pulling him into a hug, pressed against him solid and warm and reassuring for a long moment. “Thank you,” he says softly in the tiny space between them, “for everything you did out there.”

Tycho tightens the embrace. “Just doing my job, boss.”


End file.
